Little red schoolhouses were painted red for the same reason that barns were: cheap paint. The red pigment comes from very abundant red clay. Landlords use landlord white because ... they have some left over from the last job?

The majority of household light bulbs on the market today are rated for 750 hour's use. In 1933 the majority of bulbs were rated for 1,000 hours. The Shelby Electric Company produced a light bulb that was installed in the Livermore, California, Fire Department in 1901 and has been burning continuously ever since. The Shelby Electric Company is out of business.